Help for Planning Field Trips Quickly and Effectively
June 3, 2009 by Beth
Last month at the GHEA homeschooling convention, I was delighted to meet Michele Zavatsky. Along with her husband George, they are the family-loving authors of the Kids Love Travel Guides. They were both blessed to grow up in families that love to travel. For over a decade, they have been passing on that love to other families by making it easier to create memories with the assistance of their easy-to-use state guide books.
Meeting Michele Zavatsky at GHEA
Do you find planning interactive field trips and spontaneous daycations a little overwhelming? Is it hard to get the creative juices flowing on where to go next? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone came to your state, and purposefully visited every known and unknown attraction, critiqued it, “kid-tested” it, and then gave you all of that info in an organized chart right at your finger tips? How cool would it be to benefit from 1,000 hours of state specific research that another homeschooling-minded family had put together with your family’s pleasure and learning in mind?
The first thing I noticed upon opening my state specific book on Georgia was how well organized it was. I liked that you could quickly see everything in your region on a chart. Also, in the back of the book are places listed by theme. This makes it easy to quickly see everything in your state that is Science or history related. What makes these guides so helpful to families is that it puts all of the information you need to plan a successful trip right at your finger tips. Our field trip director was able to plan out a whole year of field trips for our homeschool group using the Georgia guide in less than a day!
What the “Ultimate Field Trip Bible” has to offer:
- Quick Tours of Hand-Picked Favorites – to help you choose, if you have a limited time frame
- Day Trip Zone Categories – makes it easy to locate multiple activities in the same area
- Educational Downloads and free lesson plan links
- Quick View Charts – organized by city
- Detailed Descriptions – including pricing, hours, overview, and insider tips
- Separate Activity Index – to locate attractions by theme i.e. Science, Arts, Sports
- Seasonal Listing of Events - ensures that you don’t miss that annual hot air balloon race (My personal favorite!)
Are you going somewhere this summer that you are unfamiliar with? Would you like to know what all that region has to offer? Recently, my mom surprised my sister-in-law and I with plane tickets to Williamsburg, Virginia. This is the home of Jamestown, the first permanent colony, and Yorktown, where the American Revolution ended. But with only a week to plan what do you do? Thankfully, I had just discovered this series and I was so impressed with how well the information was laid out and organized that I contacted Michele to order a second book. By reading the quick overviews, it was easy to map out how we wanted to spend our sacred 2.5 days there. Within 30 minutes, we solidified what we didn’t want to miss and had the tools to know how we would fit it all in. Thanks, Michele for saving us hours of internet research! The Virginia guide book was just what I need to plan our trip quickly and easily.
You can find out more info and order your state specific guide by visiting their website at www.KidsLoveTravel.com.
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
Ten Timeless Tips for Tackling a Homeschool Convention
May 6, 2009 by Beth
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One of the biggest mistakes I made at my first homeschool convention was heading into a football field sized room full of used books for sale without a plan. Can you feel where I am headed? Can you guess what horrible mistake I made?
Photo Credit: Darcy LWM3B
Fortunately, I did have a spending cash limit but the sad thing was I bought a lot of great books that were not on my list for that year and in my excitement I had spent the money that should have been used on what we really needed for that year. Now, five years later I would like to share some of my favorite tips to help prepare you to spend your money wisely, without a lot of stress, while getting the most out of your homeschool convention experience.
Plan and Prepare for the Best
Start now by creating a spreadsheet for each child that has every subject you need and want to cover. Under each subject list the items that you plan to purchase for that category including the price. If you are unsure of what you will use, then make a running list of the items you want to explore for that subject. Conventions are a great place to compare resources and research what will work best for your family. There is nothing like holding a book in your hand and flipping through the pages to give you an honest feel for what that resource is really like. If you have a general plan before you head to the book mecca, you will be less likely to spend your money on things you really don’t need.
Make Hubby your Spending Ally, not your Adversary
There is nothing more discouraging to an excited homeschooling mom then to hear her husband say, “You spent how much?!!!” as you walk through the door. A husband needs to know the bottom line before you start spending money. To avoid this happening in your home, make a spreadsheet for each child showing each subject. Under each subject list the items that have to be purchased with the suggested price. Decide together how and when you want to purchase these items.
Transform Your Scoffing Spouse into a Homeschool Cheerleader
Do you have a spouse who is still questioning the validity of your joint decision to Homeschool? Then by all means find a way to take them with you! This is one of the best things a new homeschool family can do. Some spouses do not realize how vast the homeschooling community is, nor do they grasp the potential it can hold for their children. They usually have not had the chance to soak in all of the info that we have and there is nothing like walking into a convention and being startled by the fact that there are thousands of other families there. They suddenly realize you are not the only family who has chosen to Homeschool. After attending his first convention, my husband went from being my faithful supporter to being an adamant pro-homeschooling cheerleader. It enhanced his perspective and gave him the information he needed to become totally committed to our decision. It makes a huge difference when both spouses are equally committed to the task of homeschooling.
My husband is always telling me, “Babes, we don’t have a money tree growing in the back yard.” Well ,we may not have a money tree, but there are ways to beef up your wallet with some extra spending cash. Somehow I have always found a way when there wasn’t one, when I really knew I needed something we couldn’t afford. Here are some things I will gladly admit I have done:
- Have a Yard Sale
- Recycle and Sell Your Curriculum
- Exchange those Baby Items for Cash – Most big cities have used baby boutiques that will gladly give you immediate cash for your nice baby through toddler items.
- Remind the Grandparents – Let them know what you are doing. They may just bless you with some extra cash that can help you buy that expensive writing program you have always wanted.
Put a Padlock on Your Wallet
Warning! Warning! Be careful! The atmosphere of a Homeschool Convention has a way of making us want to overspend and buy too much all at once. Decide before you go what your budget will be. If you have that spreadsheet ready, it will be easy to see what you will need to buy and how much that it will cost. Decide now how you will attack your plan. Can you afford it all today or do you need to pace your spending? Most families find it necessary to spread their spending out over a period of time rather than purchasing it all in one day. By creating your spreadsheet and then making a planned budget before you go, will ensure that you invest your money wisely.
When You Can’t Buy It All
Sometimes we have to make hard choices. If you have to spread your purchases out, consider buying your history and science first. These two subjects tend to need more planning and take more time to bring together. If you buy them first, you can ensure that you will have the time necessary to sit and plan out your year in a way that is best for your family. I have also found it helpful to bring a small notebook so that you can make a list of the things to buy later that you didn’t plan for.
Don’t Stop to Smell the Flowers
It is so easy to walk into a convention and get sucked in and before you know it they are announcing it’s closing time and you still haven’t made it to that one place yet. To avoid this happening to you, go ahead and download a vendor map before you go.
Most conventions have a map you can download and print that tells you where the vendors will be. It’s important to print this off before you go and highlight the ones you don’t want to miss. This really comes in handy when you are pressed for time and it’s convenient to be able to quickly locate them, especially when you are in a hurry.
Plan for Inspiration
One of my favorite resources available at a homeschooling convention is the speakers. No matter how many years you have homeschooled we all can use the inspiration and encouragement that comes from the voice of experience. Print off your list of speakers and make it a point to be encouraged.
Plan to Buy the CDs
More often than not conventions will have multiple speakers speaking simultaneously. Don’t worry! Pick your favorite and then buy the CDs of the ones you missed. You can help your pocketbook by splitting the cost with a friend.
My Best Advice
Don’t be afraid of buying mistakes. It is going to happen. You can count on it. As your homeschooling journey continues, what you base your decisions on will morph. You will gradually have a better understanding of what works for your family and what does not. You are going to have those moments when you suddenly realize that what Suzie raved about on the phone for over an hour does not fit your family’s needs. And you will come to understand that it’s okay.
Give Us Your Feedback
- What tips can you share that have helped you?
- How do you prepare for a homeschooling convention?
- What’s a mistake that you have made that others can learn from?
- How has going to a homeschooling convention helped you?
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
Reflections on a Mother’s Life Well Lived
March 26, 2009 by Beth
From the moment I received the sad news that she had passed, I knew in my heart that I was not going to miss the 94 year old lady’s funeral. More importantly, it was imperative to me that I take my boys to what I considered was going to be a very important funeral.
One day when our body is laid to rest it will not be what we accomplished that people will remember the most but the way we loved them best.
As we sat in the large-scale church, which was quickly filling up, I knew I had made the right choice. I had decided to cut our school day short so that my boys could hear about someone who had lived their life well. I knew that the things they would take in that day would teach them more about life than the schoolwork that lay at home on the table unfinished. We have read many influential stories to our children about heroes like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred for resisting the Aryan Clause under Hitler’s Regime, but how often can they garner the opportunity to be influenced by a modern day one. Consequently, there is nothing quite like the engagement of a funeral, where heart warming stories will be shared, to cause us to stop and reflect on the art of living one’s life well.
Before arriving, I had taken the time to share with my young boys what this lady’s life had meant to our family. During her almost 100 years she had loved on a lot of people in the 30 churches they had either founded and/or pastored. In addition to that they had pastored my extended family’s home church for 30 years. Her well known husband was behind the pulpit the night I tugged on my grandmother’s skirt and asked her to go with me to the altar. Even at the age of 5, I vividly remember that moment as if it were yesterday.
My mother’s heart proudly admired my boys for sitting there quietly as they took in each story that was related by someone sharing a touching memory. At the end of the day I reflected on the fact that it really wasn’t the list of accomplishments that people easily remembered about this lady but the simple way she loved on each person she came in contact with. In essence, the church wasn’t filled because of the big things this woman had accomplished but because she had been faithful in the little things. It wasn’t just the way she handled the organ or played the piano but it was the loving smile that was on her joyful face while she played. It was her genuinely positive attitude behind everything she did that people remembered the most. It was the love they felt in her presence that far outweighed anything she had ever done.
As I left the funeral, I pondered the inspirational lesson that this lady’s life had bestowed on us that day. The way she lived her life taught me that in the end people will not remember us for our achievements as much as they will remember the way we loved them while we were accomplishing those seemingly important tasks. It’s not what we do but how we do it that matters.
It was how she lived in the unplanned moments of her life that counted more in the end than all the gathered achievements that had been carefully planned out. That distinct carriage had given her a well lived life.
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
Surviving the Mommy Meltdown
February 24, 2009 by Beth
Mommy Meltdown:
aka tightening of the chest, slowness of breath, a lack of desire to tackle the world, extreme hyper focus on the unaccomplished and uncontrollable things in life, an overwhelming urge to jump on the nearest plane and escape reality as you currently know it.
You know you are about to have a mommy meltdown when….
1. You are getting ready to pay your bills and realize that for some reason the online payment did not go through last month when your internet crashed, which means you now owe $490 instead of $245.
2. You realize you have to explain it to your very understanding husband.
3. You head out to the freezer in the garage to get meat for dinner and notice that you still haven’t unpacked a bazillion boxes of who knows what even though it’s been a year since you moved in.
4. While you are carrying the frozen meat, you realize that your writing class is tomorrow and you still haven’t prepared for it because you sacrificed your planning time to go to a very important unplanned event.
5. While the meat is thawing you check your email and the sweet librarian has emailed you that those 49 books you checked out are all overdue. Hmmm….
6. But you don’t have time to calculate your fines because you also just realized that your dinner plans have been foiled because that very important ingredient you desperately need is not in your pantry.
7. And your husband is already on his way home.
8. While you are scrambling to find a substitute ingredient the phone rings and its bad news.
9. The head of the volunteer program you work for has just resigned and they need you to fill in but it’s only for a short time they assure you.
10. As you hang up the phone you realize it’s that time of the month and for some reason you forgot to write down unmentionables on your toiletries list when you went to the grocery store.
We have all been there. We have all experienced moments in life when the snowflakes of stress can suddenly snowball. Instead of being able to enjoy life we find ourselves at the bottom of a hill watching as the huge snowball prepares to take us out.
Recently, I was there. Just before the snowball took me out I realized that some of the best things in life and the greatest victories come with a stressful price tag. Just because something is causing us stress does not mean that it is bad or that we should shrink away from it.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. Prov 14:4
Simply stated oxen poop. They smell and create a huge mess. The farmer knows that but he is willing to clean up after his oxen because he knows the price of his reward far outweighs the stress he is now experiencing.
So, the next time your feeling a little ”covered up” and things don’t smell just right in your home. Grab the nearest shovel and start digging! And while your digging put a smile on your face because this is one of the benefits of reaping an abundant harvest.
My meltdown stopped when I realized that all of my internal stress was coming from good things. Things I am thankful for. Things I gladly invest myself in because of the abundant harvest that will come from it. When I focused on this truth the rolling snowball suddenly stopped and I survived the mommy meltdown.
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
A Marriage Without Leaves
January 22, 2009 by Beth
I can’t look at this picture without it evoking a strong desire for my fingers to start typing away. There is a part of me that would love to tell you our incredible love story and then there is another part of me that wants to be completely honest and tell you about the gut wrenching hard times we have come through. Together.
As I was laying in bed last night thinking about this post, I immediately went back in my mind to a lesson we learned together. It was a lesson that would save our marriage. I don’t know why but when we were a whole lot younger we both had the idea that passionate intimacy was something that happened when your relationship mirrored something kinda like a movie. In other words, we were caught up in trying to only “share” what we both thought was our perfected sides– the parts of us that we knew each other loved. We “hid” the parts of ourselves that we considered “ugly”. I think this is a very natural thing but it does not help a marriage. It hurts it.
If you have been in a significant relationship for any length of time then you are familiar with the feeling that you get when you so badly want to communicate something that you know they won’t get or understand. Sometimes, you go there and you share and then you wait for that look to come over their face that tells you, yep they totally didn’t get what I said.
As a woman, this will do two things. It will either drive you mad that they don’t understand or it will cause you to shut down and think twice the next time you share something that is difficult. No matter what, you will feel a huge chasm in your heart that hurts afterwards and that can leave you feeling very alone.
I really don’t know when the light came on for us. Maybe it was the realization that these patterns were hurting us and not helping us. Me always frustrated that I didn’t feel safe or that it seemed I spoke a “different” language at times with him that he could not understand. Throw into that mix a husband who was always away and not very present when he was home. You have a recipe for disaster.
Sometimes a disaster is what you need to happen. It makes you stop and “see” the damage and do something about it! Thankfully, we were able to pick up the pieces and what was created from those broken pieces is far more beautiful than the original.
Today, I can honestly say that there is nothing in my head or heart that my husband does not know and love. We have thrown off our perfectionist tendencies that shut us down and embraced the beautifully complex people that we are.
We have realized the importance of honesty and have found that our mutual happiness is connected to being able to be transparent. Being loved by someone that you feel you can share anything with is a very beautiful thing. Many people remove their outer clothes and never take off the inner clothes of their heart.
A woman won’t undress her heart until she knows it is safe and that her husband lovingly adores her heart as much as he craves the package that is holding it. It is so easy to be shamed by our noticeable imperfections and desire to hide them, but having a partner that embraces them and loves them is the best thing in the world. The lesson we have learned: We were never intended to hide behind leaves in our marriage when we left the Garden of Eden.
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
homepage photo by Jaci Berkopec
The Perfect Gift for Imperfect Families
December 24, 2008 by Beth
Have you ever looked at another family and easily recognized things that inspired you and made you wish your family could be like that? I am not talking about material things, but the things that money can’t buy. Sometimes instead of being encouraged by their life it does more to discourage you. Maybe you aren’t able to homeschool and wish that you could or maybe your husband is not able to be at home as much as you would like or maybe you are a single mom and just wish that there was a husband.
I recently had an inspirational revelation. I saw a ruler. The ruler was measuring everything that I wanted for my family. As I looked closer I could see that in my natural ability and circumstances it did not measure up to the dreams and desires I had for my children. And then I saw something happen to that faulty measurement. In the place where my ability stopped, God’s grace continued. And because of his grace I saw that the ruler now reached the full measurement. It wasn’t that something magical happened because of God but my eyes were opened as I realized that God does the impossible with our inability and our lack.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
It is so easy for us to take stock of our lives and become quickly discouraged by what is lacking. That is when I thrive on stories that are full of hope despite the hopeless circumstances. These stories are encouraging because the individuals should not have succeeded. Mom had no choice and had to work. There was no father in the home and the wallet was empty.
Joel Chandler Harris, the author of the famous Uncle Remus Tales, comes to mind. Being born out of wedlock and abandoned by his biological father, his single mother had nothing to offer him monetarily. Because of this he grew up in close proximity to the slave quarters. It was during these early years that Joel heard stories being told in the ancient African Storytelling tradition that would later inspire him to become known as a master story teller and writer. One of his final jobs was working for what today is known as The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV
What if the very thing you loathe and despise is going to be the catalyst for something good? That is what grace does. It takes the seemingly useless things like mud and spit and when it is placed in God’s hands it can heal a blind man. This Christmas as you measure your goals, dreams and desires for you and your family, don’t be discouraged by where the line falls. We all fall short. But remember that we have all been given the gift of God’s unmerited and undeserved grace. And wherever you see lack I want you to picture God’s grace to use all of those things for good. That is a promise we can stand on and one that gives us hope not just for today but for the outcome in our children’s lives tomorrow.
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
How to Encourage the Gift in Your Child This Christmas
November 27, 2008 by Beth
We all love to give our children that one gift that makes them squeal with delight. As you are contemplating your children’s gift list this year, why not consider buying them something that encourages their own unique interests while also enhancing the gift that is inside them.
I like to think of these gifts as things that will give something back to their development and future. Maybe even spark a new path of interest.
Every year for Christmas I enjoy investing in our kids natural bents. It is something we have always done. We have one child who has an artistic bent and loves to draw. This year for his list I will be adding new drawing books which he has requested. And for our naturalist outdoor son I will be looking for something that builds on his love for the outdoors and nature. One of my friends shared with me that they gave their cooking enthusiast his own personal chef hat and utensils. She noticed later that this gift gave him more ownership and interest in the kitchen.
What are your children interested in? Think about it. What do you want to encourage in them? This season is a great time to invest in them. One of my all time favorite gifts to encourage a budding artist is the Artograph Light Tracer. You can find them for around 30.00$. It is a transportable lighted table that helps a child to see the lines of what they want to draw. Sketcher and Frog Catcher give it two thumbs up!
Here are some of my favorite websites for buying unique gifts for kids.
Timberdoodle
The All American Boy’s Adventure Catalog
The Beautiful Girlhood Collection
Lamplighter Publishing
Miller Pads and Paper
Artist’s Pick Blick Art Materials
Where are your favorite places to shop online for unique gifts? We would love to see your links. What have you given your child that has given back to them?
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
How Questions Empower Our Teaching
November 1, 2008 by Beth
How Questions Can Empower Our Teaching
All of us know how to ask our kids questions like, “Did you clean your room?” Or “Did you finish your homework?” But do we know how to ask the kind of questions that encourage our kids to think and take us straight to their heart?
Questions Empower us to Open Doors to Our Children’s Hearts
Questions can be powerful. One of the lessons I have learned along the way is that a good question can be a powerful tool to open up the door to your child’s heart. Some of our most meaningful lessons have come from conversations that began with a simple question.
Recently, one of my sons returned from a playdate angered over the fact that one of the boys told him he couldn’t play in his room. I found out later that my son had opened up a board game in the middle of where the other boy’s were playing battlefield. Instead of rebuking my son’s attitude and telling him what he did wrong I began asking him a few questions. Son, how would you feel if you were playing baseball and some kids came and set up a pool on your field? Then I asked, “How do you think those boys felt when you put your game in the middle of their playing area?” He began thinking about that and realized how wrong his attitude was and that his anger was a result of his own actions. In the midst of questioning his heart more he told me, “Mom, I need to call him back and apologize.”
It would have been easy for me to have gotten upset with him over this and just corrected him skipping over the heart of the matter. But by asking a few simple questions it gave me the opportunity to disciple my child’s heart. Allow questions to empower you to open doors to your child’s heart.
We all want our kids to develop good thinking skills apart from their peers. A good question does that. It creates an opportunity for them to process information and think on their own. In order to build thinking skills this needs to be something we learn to incorporate with everything we do. A question can also point their attention to something they would have never noticed. One of the ways we can do this is by being aware of teachable moments throughout our day.
During our read aloud time with our children we have an excellent opportunity to pull significant thought provoking questions from our reading and create teachable moments. Have you ever been reading a story when something captured your attention? These are great moments to stop and ask a question. The great preacher George Whitfield was once a stone throwing, mischievous little boy. During one of his altercations in the story we stopped and I asked the boys several questions like, “Why do you think he was acting like this?” Even as a young ruffian he was an influential leader. Seeing this we talked about the power of influence both for good and bad. By using a question I was able to point out something I wanted them to ponder and create a teachable moment.
Stories provide excellent material for probing questions like, “What would you have done?” or “Was that a good decision that he made and why?” Be prepared to have some wonderful conversations with your kids when you do this. The lessons from these rabbit trails are so precious.
Questions Empower Our Children to Develop Self Expression and Elocution
Elocution simply means the art of speaking and communicating well. I don’t know about you but I still struggle with adequately expressing myself at times. Asking our kids challenging questions not only makes them think but requires them to put those thoughts into words and communicate back to us. This takes practice. When I don’t understand what my child is trying to communicate, I will kindly tell them to say it another way. With my boys I make the point to have them slow down and speak clearly without mumbling.
When a child is more introverted they especially need their parents to give them opportunities for self expression. They need to know that their thoughts and voice are just as important as their sibling who may seem to never stop talking.
One of the ways we provide time to do this is by having a “tea time” boy’s style with hot chocolate instead of tea. The boys bring the books that they are currently reading and we discuss them. I make it a point to teach them to listen to one another, respect each other and to also ask each other questions. They have loved this new family tradition and so have I.
So, do you purposefully use questions with your kids? Do you ask questions as part of the learning process and if so what does it look like at your house?
Beth discovered how fun learning can be when she began homeschooling in 2003. She considers homeschooling to be a treasured blessing.On the path with her are her 2 boys and husband John, who is her biggest supporter and fan. Somehow she has enabled her frog loving outdoor boys to love tough subjects like Latin, Writing and Grammar. (She is not kidding!) Now if she could only get them to eat all their vegetables. Beth loves capturing life’s precious moments with her camera and decorating them with Photoshop. You can visit her blog at Pages of Our Life.
